Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia Hübner, [1822]
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is brown. Forewing with 2 orange cell bars and 2 eyespots; part of white subapical band appears in the largest, lower eyespot. Hindwing has 2 eyespots; upper one is largest and contains a magenta crescent. Underside of hindwing is brown or tan in the wet season (summer) form and rose-red in the dry season (fall) form.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 2 3/4 inches (4.2 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch during the day on low plants or bare ground to watch for females, flying periodically to patrol or to chase other flying insects. Females lay eggs singly on leaf buds or on upperside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars are solitary and eat leaves. Caterpillars and adults overwinter but only in the south.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-October, throughout the year in the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants from the snapdragon family including snapdragon (Antirrhinum) and toadflax (Linaria); the plantain family including plantains (Plantago); and the acanthus family including ruellia (Ruellia nodiflora).
Adult Food: Favorite nectar sources are composites including aster, chickory, gumweed, knapweed, and tickseed sunflower. Dogbane, peppermint, and other flowers are also visited.
Habitat: Open, sunny areas with low vegetation and some bare ground.
Range: Resident in the southern United States and north along the coasts to central California and North Carolina; south to Bermuda, Cuba, Isle of Pines, and southern Mexico. Adults from the south's first brood migrate north in late spring and summer to temporarily colonize most of the United States and parts of southern Canada. Comments: The eyespots may be used to scare away predators.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 8868 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: pkmcp
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: Apr 12, 2024
Submitted by: KDunlap
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 24, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 24, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 24, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 24, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 24, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 25, 2024
Observation date: Apr 08, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Sevier County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: Apr 12, 2024
Submitted by: kericson
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 12, 2024
Observation date: Apr 08, 2024
Submitted by: SDozzler
Region: Hill County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 12, 2024
Observation date: Apr 09, 2024
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 10, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: billmaciejko
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 02, 2024
Observation date: Oct 16, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 01, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Lyon County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Mar 15, 2024
Observation date: Mar 14, 2024
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 1997
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 03, 2024
Observation date: Jun 02, 2008
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 03, 2024
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